Rio Grande tops Nets for G League crown

Posted
Monday, April 15, 2019 10:10 am

The Long Island Nets, the NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets, fell to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, 129-112, in Game 3 of the NBA G League Finals at Island Federal Arena at Stony Brook University on Friday night. With the win, the Vipers secured the NBA G League Championship.

Brooklyn two-way forward/center Alan Williams logged a double-double with 26 points and 21 rebounds along with two blocks in 38 minutes. Brooklyn guard/forward Dzanan Musa scored 24 points with six rebounds in 33 minutes while on assignment with Long Island. Long Island guard Jordan McLaughlin scored 22 points with five rebounds, nine assists, five steals and a block in 39 minutes off the bench.

Rio Grande Valley came out hot and never looked back. The Vipers scored a whopping 38 points in the first quarter while holding the Nets to 24 points. The second quarter was more of the same, with the Vipers scoring 37 points and the Nets being held to 23. The Vipers shot 55 percent from the floor in the first half and 50 percent from 3-point range. After two, the score was 75-47 in favor of the Vipers.

The Nets came out of halftime tightening up defensively. They held the Vipers to 28 points in the third, but only scored 27 themselves. Dzanan Musa and Theo Pinson led the way in the third with seven points apiece. Long Island entered the final period down 29 points, 103-74. The Nets played their best quarter in the fourth, but it was too little too late. After a 38-point fourth, the Nets still came up short with a final score of 129-112.

Houston center Isaiah Hartenstein put up a double-double with 30 points and 17 rebounds along with three assists, a steal and two blocks in 36 minutes while on assignment with Rio Grande Valley. Rockets guard Michael Frazier scored 24 points with nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block in 45 minutes.